


An Alternate Universe

by Commander_Lexus



Series: Universe of Alternates [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Childhood Friends, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Partner Betrayal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:33:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2063025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commander_Lexus/pseuds/Commander_Lexus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Would Commander Shepard still be a bad ass in a universe where the Reapers "Don't Exist?" The answer is of course! Jade Shepard has had it pretty rough in life, she never seems to catch a break. Can the Master Assassin find love in all the chaos? Or is she doomed to walk the stars alone?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Job

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, Hai! Commander_Lexus here to bring you a story of love, betrayal.... screw it! Read and enjoy! I have already posted this on two sites and it hasn't been very popular but I'm hoping things will turn around for my poor Jade. :) Enjoy!

_"28...29...30... ready or not, here I come!" I crouch down lower in the bushes, giggling uncontrollably. Garrus draws closer, following the sound of my laughter. "Come on Jade! You promised a challenge!" I stifle my laughter. Just as I lose sight of him, he shouts "found you!" and grabs me by my waist, lifting me above the bushes. He is surprisingly strong for a ten year old._   
_"Put me down! Put me down!" I laugh, as he pulls me clear of the bushes. We live in a Turian/Human joint colony in the Attican Traverse, on the planet Mindoir, it's a step towards co-existence between our two races. He gently sets me down and I turn to face him, a big grin plastered on my face. "Race you to the Big Mill?" He flares his mandibles in silent agreement, and we race through town, into the corn fields. Just as we reach the mill, the sound of a cruiser stops us in our tracks. We turn to see a strange ship dock at the spaceport. Seconds later, chaos erupts, gunfire and explosions ring out through the settlement, the screams of our families reaching us from far away._   
_Garrus grabs my hand, dragging me behind him. "Jade... remember that secret place?" he looks back at me._   
_"Yes, I remember" tears stream down my face as I futilely pull against his grip. "Garrus! We have to go back! Let me go!" he tightens his grip. Suddenly he stops. "Garrus?" he holds a finger to his mouth, cocking his head. Just then, I hear footsteps and shouts._   
_"Jade, you need to run. Go to our secret place. Hide there, and I'll come find you, OK?" he pushes me forward. "Go!"_   
_"Garrus, I'm not leaving you!" I hiss. The footsteps draw closer._   
_"Yes, yes you are" he bolts off, crashing through the corn stalks, making as much noise as possible. He's to fast, I can't possibly follow, so I run towards our hideout. I have just reached the hill when I hear Garrus shout in pain. I turn and see them drag him off towards their ship. Sobbing, I run the rest of the way to our hideout and gently shut the door behind me._

Gasping, I bolt upright in bed, soaking in sweat. It's been a long time since I dreamed of Mindoir, or my childhood friend for that matter. Glancing at my wrist, I see that I have two new messages on my Omni tool. Sighing, I get out of bed and head to the shower. _God... what an awful dream..._ that's the first time in at least five years that I've had that dream. I turn up the heat, letting the hot water soothe my aching muscles. I dry off and get dressed. Sitting on my balcony with a cup of tea I open the message on my Omni tool.  
 _Shepard:  
It has come to our attention that a certain Nassana Dantius has been tragically killed by still unknown means. As was implied previously, a transfer of 50,000 credits has been wired to an account under the alias you contacted us with. We hope you will consider us for your services again in the future._

Signed,  
Rubio Talmer  
Kassa Fabrication Rep.

Smiling, I access the account, and transfer it to fifty others that will wire it to my main account in ten business days. I then access the second message, from my contact on Omega.  
 _Shepard:  
It seems a very important Turian is having some issues regarding one Kasumi Goto. It seems he was robbed by Miss Goto, and is looking for someone to take her down. Considering your interest in contacting her, it would be most prudent to take this opportunity. The would be client is General Oraka, he is seen frequenting the bar Afterlife, in Omega. I am sure you will be able to contact him, if you so choose.  
Kai Leng  
_ "Hmmm... interesting. I've been looking for an excuse to find her. Thank you General Oraka..." with a sly grin, I stretch and then walk to my garage. "Time to go shopping, I suppose" I steer my car to the presidium shopping district. As I step out of my car, a group of Quarian children run by, laughing at their Krogan companion, who is apparently playing a game of chase with them. _Things like that is what makes the Galaxy great..._ walking past the Alien specialized stores, I finally find the store I was looking for. Je' Tame, a franchise straight from Paris itself. Walking in, I am met with more than a few envious stares from the assortment of women in the store. Heading straight for the elegant apparel section, my eyes spot an ebony black dress, made of fine chain links. It is form fitting, and very modern in style. I grab it and head for the dressing room. It fits perfectly, of course. I look in the full length mirror, admiring my high cheekbones, slim jawline, full lips, piercing ice blue eyes, fiery red hair, and slender, yet curvy frame. In the dress, I look so far from an assassin, it's almost funny. It's exactly what it will take to get Oraka's attention though. Changing back into my civilian garb, I exit the dressing room and grab the matching shoes. As I approach the check out line, I see the clerk admiring my body. Most likely thinking I had upgrades done. _Jokes on her, my mom was just as hot as I am, and all natural._ As she rings up the clothes she gives me yet another sideways glance. "It's all natural, you know." she blushes and glances up at me. "My body? It's completely natural, I was born like this. So no before you ask, I can't tell you where I got my upgrades because I have none, aside from the standard Lx9 implant."  
"I'm terribly sorry Miss Lisbeth! I didn't mean to be rude... it's just, well, your so beautiful, and I thought... but I can see I was wrong" she stutters as she hands me my things. "I hope that I have not ruined our chances of having you back again."  
"It's all right, I can understand where you are coming from, and you can count on my coming again" she breathes out a sigh of relief. I turn and exit into the Plaza. My stomach growls, so I head to Apollo's Café to grab a bite to eat and reserve a seat on a transport to Omega. The waiter comes and take my order, and I reserve an empty first class cabin to Omega on my Omni tool.  
"Jade? Is that you?" says a familiar voice behind me.


	2. An Unusual Occurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise visit from an old friend makes Shepard a little uncomfortable, in ways she isn't used to...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we learned that Shep hails from Mindoir. And BAM! Random Garrus because I lurve me some Garrus!

A Drell sits in the seat across from me. "Umm, my I help you sir?" I say, feigning surprise. "I don't believe we've met." he smiles slightly.  
"It's very nice to meet you, Miss?" he extends his hand in the formal Drell greeting.  
"It's Miss. Baynham, call me Lisbeth, and it's nice to meet you, Mr.?" he looks surprised at my name.  
"Mr. Krios, but please call me Thane" now it's my turn to be surprised, why would he use his real name out in public like this? Unless someone paid to have me killed, publically. He must see the anticipation in my eyes, because he makes a calming gesture. "Please, could we take this conversation to a more private location? There are things we need to discuss."  
"I have a flight to Omega waiting for me actually. Care to join me on the way? We can talk once we've gotten to my private cabin." he nods and stands, motioning me to lead the way. We walk in silence, my hand is on my dagger the whole way to the docking bay. Even with C-Sec surrounding the room, I never take my eyes off him, anticipating that any moment could very well be my last.  
"If I wanted to kill you, Lisbeth, I would have long before we met" he puts emphasis on the 'met' knowing full well everything I would remember. He used to be my trainer, and partner in crime. He rescued me from Mindoir after finding me during an assignment of his. I've been killing ever since.  
"I know..." I relax my grip on the dagger just enough to assuage him. "So..." I say as we enter my private cabin "what particular topic would you like to discuss Thane?" he sits, stretching out his legs.  
"You seem to be doing very well for yourself, Jade." He scans the room, taking in every minute detail. He smiles, I can tell he is lost in a memory.  
"What are you thinking about?" my voice seems to snap him out of it. He looks at me as the ship takes off, probably wondering if he should tell me or not.  
"It's not important right now, I may tell you later, but for now... So I hear that you've been quite busy, you have quite the reputation all throughout the Galaxies." He looks proud at this, I blush.  
"Really? I hadn't heard. I'm surprised even Andromeda heard about me, let alone the other Galaxies. I haven't really been branching out much" sighing I sit across from him. "Honestly, there are so many contracts available here, I think I would be exhausted taking on another Galaxy. I might miss clients that really need my services." he nods.  
"Yes, I've heard about your small timers as well. I take it they don't pay you well?" I lean back my head.  
"They don't pay me at all, if their reasons are good enough, and they present me with definitive evidence to support their reasons." I sneak a look at him, he looks surprised.  
"Really? I hadn't heard." I smile  
"No, you wouldn't. Their only payment to me is that they keep the fact that they didn't pay a secret... Don't want people to be expecting handouts." He laughs.  
"No, you really don't, do you? So why don't you make them pay, other than having a good reason? Any other assassin would." I look at him, pain filling my heart.  
"I'm not 'any other assassin' Krios... I thought you would know that by now." He's remembering how he saved me from Mindoir, I can tell. "I know exactly how hard it is for lower class. Any help I can give them, no matter how small, I will. No payment necessary." He nods again, the cabin is silent for a moment. He leans forward, clearly troubled about something, and I go on red alert.  
"I have a proposal for you." he isn't meeting my eyes. I watch his every movement carefully, waiting for him to strike. "How would you like your partner in crime, back at your side?" He meets my eyes, and leans back. I suddenly understand why he looked so pained. Any assassin worth his name would be hard pressed to trust another with a job, and he is expecting me to refuse. His eyes are so hopeful, that I can't say no.  
"Alright, sounds good. Maybe we can tackle a wider net of contracts working together." he looks so relieved, it almost makes me want to cry... I'll have to ask him about that later... something MUST have happened for him to be acting this way. "So, how would you like to hear about a possible client?" he smiles and leans forward.  
"Who's the mark?" he asks, I can already see a plan forming as I tell him about Oraka, and brief him on my dealings with all clientele. He smiles "So, I take it you have something nice to wear right? Afterlife is a fairly exclusive place." I laugh at his lack of faith.  
"I have been doing this for around 12 years now. I know what I'm doing Krios. They'll let me in, trust me... but how are YOU getting in?" I look him up and down, evaluating the quality and price of his clothes. "You need something nicer to wear if you want to be seen with Miss. Baynham." he smiles.  
"Well Miss. Lisbeth, what are YOU wearing that outshines my own attire? Surely not THAT dress." He pauses, examining the way the fine silk clings to my curves. He clears his throat, and I pull out the black dress I bought prior. He stares blankly at the dress, then me, and then the dress again. I raise my eyebrows. "It seems as though you will have no trouble getting in, Jade." I blush slightly as I put the dress back in the bag. "Well, when we get to Omega, I'll head straight to the markets and get something that matches that...dress." I smile, and lean back in my seat. As the flight progresses, we exchange stories on marks, and how we took care of them. He laughed when I told him about the Elcor diplomat Xeltan, and how I was able to get close enough to kill him.  
"Well, you see.. he always frequented Chora's den, and they were short a dancer for the night..." he laughs.  
"I take it you got rid of that dancer?" I shake my head  
"Yes, I gave her some sedatives, and delivered her safely home. But it just so happens that she was the bars only human dancer, so when I proved my skills, Fist let me have my own table. It also just so happens that Xeltan has a thing for human women, and he was more than happy to sit in the empty chair at my table. Of course, after dancing for 2 hours, he wanted me to get a little closer..." he chuckles "and I was more than happy to oblige. So, as I was dancing... on him... I used a bit of slight of hand to place a demolition charge at the base of his skull. When he finally left, I got changed and went to admire my handiwork. You see I had it set that if he went more than ten meters outside of the bar, it would detonate. There was such a mess, and there was only one person to blame, Miss Abigail Warner... the person I replaced." He looks confused.  
"How did you manage that?" I hold up my Omni tool.  
"With a specially made program that alters the data in a persons brain to my will. Very dangerous, high tech stuff. It's not even on the market yet."  
"Where did you get it?" he asks, genuinely surprised.  
"One of my contacts in an Alliance Black-Ops. His name is Kai Leng." he slowly leans back and looks me steadily in the eyes.  
"Why are you working with Cerberus? They're Alliance! You could get caught easily." I shake my head and laugh.  
"Don't worry about it Leng is madly in love with me. He's like a loyal lapdog, I let him report my movements to Cerberus, and occasionally do their dirty work for them, and they keep me protected from the Alliance Brass. Honestly, it's a great deal I've got worked out." he eyes me warily.  
"I would watch my back around them, if I were you. You can't trust the Alliance to keep you safe forever."  
"Which is exactly why I am the one that chooses who I approach for a contract. They leak that they want someone killed, and if I accept, I go to them. I take every precaution of course. I still remember what you taught me." he nods briskly, he really doesn't like my contingency plan... "So I take it you want out then..." I feel like crying. If he says yes... I might just have to kill him for getting my hopes up.  
He looks startled "What? No! I still want in... just keep us a secret from them... wouldn't want your lover getting jealous, now would we?" he says 'lover' with such spite can't help but laugh.  
"Hardly! He's just someone I am with casually to keep things peaceful. He's the one who thinks it's serious. I'm just using him for the tech and intel." I laugh again. "I guess it doesn't hurt that he's good in bed..." He raises his brow at me. "Oh, don't look at me like that! What? A girl can't appreciate talent when she sees it?" I say innocently, and evil grin on my face. He is thoughtful for a moment, shrugs, and closes his eyes, leaning back.  
"Wake me when we get there." he mumbles, drifting off quickly. Through the rest of the flight, I take the time to admire him, his strong, hard muscles, his clean lined, strong body structure, his handsome facial features. The ultimate bad boy is sitting right in front of me, and yet I can't bring myself to touch him, to wake him from his peaceful state. The ship docks, and his eyes snap open before I can look away. He meets my eyes for what seems like a long time. I look away and grab my things. When I see he still hasn't moved, I lift my brow at him.  
"You coming or are you just gonna sit there, staring at my gorgeous self?" He smiles wryly and stands, following me to the Omega Market District. "Let's see if we can't find you something snazzy to wear." his low chuckle makes my heart skip a beat... what is wrong with me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice save Shep. Just play off the fact that you were staring at your old mentor. He's not significantly older than you or anything.


	3. Afterlife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a tension filled trip to Omega. And the best part? The client doesn't realize he's the client... ;)

I hold up the perfect suit, all black of course, with a white shirt underneath. He shakes his head in disagreement. "Come on! It's perfect for you! Who is the woman here?" he sighs and takes the suit from me, heading to the dressing room.  
"It's will not look good on me, I'm telling you right now." I wave him off and sit in the chair by the dressing room. My Omni tool reads 3:00 p.m. It's almost time to get myself ready.  
"Hurry up in there. We can't take all day you know. I do have a dress to squeeze on." he laughs and exits the dressing room. Like a fool he buttoned the shirt all the way, he looks like he's heading to a board room meeting instead of a night club. I sigh "You look like someone's secretary, come here and let me fix it." He steps forward, and I stat to undo the buttons. He gets very still, and I am hit with the sexy scent of sandalwood and good cologne. I clear my throat and back up, satisfied that I did my job... and boy did I ever. I lead him to the mirror and show him my handiwork. With the buttons undone, he is exposing much of his strong chest and the unbuttoned jacket gives it a casual, yet sexy, 'I don't give a damn' appearance. Definitely a dangerous look for him. I see many women admiring him as well.  
"Am I now appropriately dressed to your standards, Miss. Lisbeth?" I glare at the surrounding female populace.  
"Yes, yes you are. Now go get changed so we can pay and head to my place." he looks puzzled.  
"Just how any places do you have?" he exclaims. I smile, if only he knew.  
"A lot, I have a lot of places. Now hurry! I have a lot to do to make myself sexy for our friend." he hurries off to the dressing room, while I pull up Miss Lisbeth's account. When he emerges I pay for the clothes and we head to a rapid transit station where I had a chauffer bring out my private car. "Get in." he sits, admiring the quality of the interior as I power up my car.  
"This is very nice"  
"Yep" I drive off, heading to my public apartment to have the car scanned for bugs. When it comes up clear, I drive to my private condo, landing my car on the port at my balcony. "Home sweet home" he gets out slowly, admiring the view. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping." I lead him through the condo, and into the guest bedroom on the second floor, complete with a private bathroom and balcony. "So this is your room, you have everything you could possibly want, and as this is available for all races, you can make this rooms air as dry as you want." he looks impressed.  
"Thank you." he says. I shall get changed then." I nod and leave the room, gently closing the door behind me. I head up to my third floor room, and shed my clothes, turning on the shower. As I wait for the water to heat up, I admire my recent tattoo. She really did a good job. It is a scythe with the names of all the people I had lost under the blade, on the blade is "Whatever wrong I have done, By thought, word or deed, I ask for absolution." The blade curves around my breast, leaving the quote for forgiveness right over my heart. There are so many names, I have to look away before the guilt strikes again. Now that the water is heated to my desire, I step in and soak, letting what remains of my tension be worked away by the steamy water. After lathering in a rich apple smelling soap, I get out, dry off and blow dry my hair. Then I put it into a half up bun, and curl it. Then I apply a light amount of smoky makeup and some vibrant red lipstick, offsetting the blue in my eyes and making them glow. Then I slip on my dress, and adjust it to fit my curves perfectly. I slip on my black stilettoes, and walk into the living room. I pull up Afterlife on my Omni tool and make reservations to be there at 10. It's six now, so I decide to go over the notes Leng sent me on Oraka. I go to stand on the balcony and watch the cars fly by and pull up Oraka's file. He is very interesting. Likes Humans, and sometimes goes for males as well. He likes whiskey and, thanks to an innovation fifty years ago, he has no allergies to non-dextro foods or drinks... or people. Got to love modern science... makes impossible relationships completely possible. Behind me I hear footsteps, I don't dare take my eyes off the file, even as he stands next to me. "So... anything interesting in that file?" he asks innocently.  
"No, not really, just making sure I can keep his interest long enough to get him somewhere private." he nods as I close the file and look out at the city. "So I was thinking, we go in separately, you first to scope the situation, and then I come in when you give the all clear. Usually I would have a homeless child do it for a few creds, but now I needn't spend the money." he glances at me and then away.  
"Kids?" I nod  
"They can go where you and I can't, and you can never be too careful about these things. It could always be a trap. But they won't be expecting you, if there is anyone in there." he nods. "Then you give the all clear, and I'll work my magic. When we leave together, follow us and make sure we aren't followed." he turns toward me.  
"Then what will you do when you are alone with him?" I smile.  
"I'll introduce myself, and we will proceed to negotiate. He will be surprised, of course. They always are." he laughs.  
"I can imagine, I'd be surprised too, if I had thought I was going to score big, and then found out it was all a ploy to negotiate a contract." I laugh.  
"You would probably have been expecting it, though. You are you, after all." he shrugs. "It's a lovely view, isn't it?" I glance at him.  
"Yes, it certainly is." I can hear a double meaning in his words, and I feel him looking at me. I meet his eyes, eyebrow cocked.  
"You making a pass at me, Krios?" I say jokingly. He clears his throat, looks away, and smiles sheepishly.  
"Maybe I was." I blush, hiding my surprise, and laugh it off. My heart is beating a mile a minute, and I'm pretty sure he can hear it. I slow my heart rate and even my breathing. He shoots me a questioning glance, and I wave it off.  
"Heart condition." I lie, and he looks concerned. I feel really bad now... well crap. My Omni tool beeps at me. "Time for us to go." I say walking briskly to my car locking my condo down. As we head to Afterlife, I can feel him watching me. God, he's driving me crazy. "Is there any particular reason you're staring at me, Mr. Krios?" he looks away, obviously startled that I could feel him watching.  
"Nope, just imagining Oraka's expression when you tell him your true purpose." I laugh, not the least bit convinced, but still slightly disappointed. _He's so_ _much older than you! Get a grip woman! In truth, he is only six years older than me. He's 30 and I'm 24... it's not that weird right? Ugg! Why am I trying to justify and age difference when the defining truth is he's my old instructor? You are never supposed to want to sleep with your teacher... he's just so intense and..._ "You missed the turn."  
"Shit!" I flip us around and land gracefully near the entrance. Stepping out, I throw the chauffer my keys. "Don't scratch it" Thane steps out and looks at me strangely.  
"You know, I hear it's safe to pay attention when you drive" I scoff and motion for him to enter.  
"I reserved you under a Mr. Koliat, and no I didn't specify a last name. Show the bouncer this and you should get in." I hand him a special issue pass, and let him enter. He gets through with no problem, and I can tell from the women who were gawking at him as he entered, I did well in making him belong in this crowd. Ten minutes later he sends me a message that it's clear, and I glide to the door. The bouncer doesn't even ask for a card, he just lets me pass and I place a chit for 500 creds into his front pocket as I pass. I hear envious hisses from the females in line, and protests from others at my walking in. Smiling, I saunter in and find my mark quickly. He is in a table at the back, watching the entrance, and therefore me, as I continue to scan the club, as if measuring the worth of staying. Making my approval clear, I head for the bar and order bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy. The bartender rushes to get my drink and, feeling bad for the poor guy, I placate him with a friendly smile, and a hand on his arm to calm him. Removing my hand from his arm, I fill my shot glass with some brandy and knock it back, with none of the interesting facial expressions made by the less experienced drinkers in the bar. Shaking my head, I continue to finish the bottle, not the least bit affected by the alcohol, due to my Lx9 implant's capacity to increase my metabolism. Standing to dance, I pay the bartender and tip him heavily, then head to the dance floor. As I am a vey good, provocative dancer (I took some stripping lessons) I have the attention of almost every male in the bar. A few approach me, but I turn most of them down. I can see Oraka watching me intently, I'm waiting for him to make his move. Just as he gets up, I feel another gaze on me. I turn in time to the music to see Thane watching me intently. When he sees Oraka approach me, he nods approvingly and moves into the shadows. I turn with the music again, coming face to face with Oraka. He holds out his hand and I take it, and then we're dancing together. He is a surprisingly good dancer, and I am enjoying myself as he leads me through a tango. As we dance, more and more people stop to watch us, no surprise there. We are both very intense people, and the music sets the perfect mood. At the end of the song, he dips me, and I can tell he is staring at my exposed neck. He motions for me to join him at his table as the crowd applauds. I nod and follow him, sitting next to him when we reach the booth.  
"So, what is a gorgeous woman like you doing in a place like this? You should be somewhere nicer, like Illium." I smile and bat my eyes at him, leaning in close so he can smell me better. His file said he likes apples.  
"Well, this is a very nice place as well, very exclusive. The name is Miss. Baynham, but please call me Lisbeth." He inhales for longer than it takes to breathe so I know he appreciates my perfume.  
"Yes, but... anyone can get in here if they save up enough. In Flux you have to make a reservation and be an important person. I know who you are Lisbeth."  
"Oh?"  
"You are an heiress, and a major investor in many companies that supply the Turian Militia." I act impressed.  
"Only high ranking Members of the Turian Government are able to access investor files... you must be very high up, Mr.?"  
"Oraka, Admiral Oraka." An admiral now? When did that happen? I really need to talk to Kai about updating the files when they change, that Boshtet.  
"Admiral? Oh my... you are important!" he flares his mandibles in a smile. "So... Admiral. If you are so intent on taking me somewhere nice, maybe we should go somewhere more... private, perhaps?" his eyes light up.  
"Yes, and I know just the place too! I'll reserve it right now!" he presses some buttons on his Omni tool and I signal Thane that it's almost time to go. He nods and moves to a flanking position at the bar. "Alright, it's done! Let's go." We head to Oraka's car and I covertly drop my keycard to my car. Thane picks it up without anyone noticing and gets the chauffer to bring the car tipping him heavily. As we drive, I see him following me from a safe distance. We pull up at The Wards hotel and Casino, and check in. "Care to gamble?"  
"No, I don't want to lose my whole fortune in one night." he laughs and we head to the room. He opens the door while I send the room number to Thane. He opens the door and I enter. "So Oraka, now that we are finally alone, we can get down to business." I turn around, and find him very close to me. I back up a step. "Please, allow me to reintroduce myself," he stops in his advance, lifting a brow plate "My name is Jade Shepard and I hear you are having a few problems with one Kasumi Goto? Please, tell me all about her." He looks very confused, then realization dawns and he sighs, looking very disappointed. There is a knock on the door and I go to it and seeing that it's Thane, I open the door and let him in. He nods and takes a seat on he couch. Sitting propped up on the pillows on the bed, I motion for Oraka to sit down. "Please, tell us everything." He then proceedes to tell us about how Kasumi stole all his money, and did who knows what with it. He wants her to give the money back, or die, as the situation warrants. Seeing as I wanted to recruit her, this was fine by me. And if she wouldn't pay then I would, as a show of good will. "Do you know where she might be headed next?"  
"Yes. The Andromeda Galaxy, she is going to rob the Shadow Broker... she is located somewhere in Illium. I don't know what she calls herself but it's definitely an Asari."  
"Well that really narrows it down..." Thane sighs. _Great another goose chase._  
I nod "Well then that's where we are going. Thank you for you patronage Admiral." I get up and Thane follows me out the door and to the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this much! Interweb hugs for all!


	4. The Heist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Please, feel free to critique my work, and give me ideas for the next chapters, as I usually have to bounce ideas off others to keep my creativity going. Thank you for reading, and please comment your opinions!*

Back on the Citadel, driving back to the apartment after scanning for bugs or trackers, I find that Thane is still staring at me. Curious as to how long he would keep it up, I say nothing, and instead attune my body to the cars surrounding me, all while keeping a carefully hidden eye on Krios. _Didn't anyone ever tell him staring is very rude? Apparently not, because he is still doing it. What is his problem?_ I let out a long sigh, and glance over at him. "Anything in particular on your mind Krios?" he turns his attention to the window on his side.  
"No, just wondering who taught you to dance like that, it certainly wasn't me." I snort a laugh.  
"You're most certainly right about that Krios... your dancing skills are quite lacking." He scoffs and acts offended.  
"You question my dancing abilities, simply because I prefer stealth to making a scene?" _Exuse me? Oh... oh no he didn't..._  
"You really want to go there Krios? Just because you 'prefer' stealth, doesn't mean you're any good at it." I glance over at him, grinning like a kid at Christmas. This is gonna be fun, if I can get him to cooperate.  
"You know what Jade? Let's. Let's go there. You want to play? I'm down to play, and you had better hope that I have the kindness to hold back my natural affinity for this sort of thing." I glare at him.  
"Challenge accepted, but let's up the stakes. I win, and you have to go clubbing with me." I do believe that he looks sick.  
"Fine, but if I win... you have to do 20 reps of suicides. You remember those, don't you Jade?" Now it's my turn to be sick. I remember all too well my least favorite training exercise/punishment/cruel and unusual torture. One rep requires me to do 500 push-ups, 500 curl-ups, 200 pull-ups, lift sacks of corn grain and toss them over my head for an hour, and then run 50 miles in under 2 1/2 hours. It is literal Hell, and to do 20 is to be gasping on the floor, dying slowly and painfully. And in the rare occasions I couldn't finish my suicides, I was forced to fight a combat sim on the hardest level, which is almost as bad as one suicide. Oddly, instead of scaring me off, it gives me a grim sort of determination.  
"Deal," he looks at me, clearly surprised at my answer. "So, we are going to break into the bank in the Presidium Commons. How does that sound?" he grins at me and nods approvingly. Security will be tight, but breaking in won't get us as much jail time as any of the larger banks would. Changing course, I steer the car to the Presidium Commons to wait for closing time at the bank.

It's nearing Midnight, but the security is still villagently watching the perimeter. _It'll be tight, but not impossible... I hope_. "You ready to get beat, Krios?" he stifles a laugh.  
"In your dreams, Shep." He truly has no idea how much I've blossomed as an assassin. _Jokes on him, cause he's about to find out_. I wait for the guard to turn the corner, and then I'm off, making almost no sound as my feet hit the floor. I run up the wall and grab the ledge, using my upper body strength to flip me up and over the edge, all in one smooth, elegant motion.  
"Like a freakin' ballerina!" I whisper to Thane. The corner of his mouth twitches slightly up as he pulls the same move, in a slightly less dignified, yet no less graceful climb to my side. He motions for me to lead, gentleman that he is, and I lead the way silently over the roof, gracefully dodging all the motion detectors and laser beams invisible to the naked eye. I, of course, have my eccelent eyesight from specially made contacts, given to me by Leng, courtesy of Cerberus. He, quite obviously, has to follow my movements exactly, or else he would trip every alarm in the building, bumbling around in the dark. When we get to the air vent, I flip onto the top and offer a hand up to Thane. He takes it, and I haul him up, till we are standing nose-to-nose on the vent. He jumps to the other vent as I check for alarms or lasers that would prevent me from opening the vent. Finding only a small trigger switch, I quickly disarm it and gently remove the grate from the vent shaft. Peering down, I see no alarms in the direct vicinity of the bottom of the shaft. I motion to Thane, and he jumps over, and slides down silently, bracing himself against the walls of the shaft to prevent plummeting straight to the bottom. He shifts his shoulders to bear my weight, and I gently ease my weight onto him, closing the grate and keeping us from being found out before we've had a chance to have some real fun. Taking my weight off him by bracing myself against the ventalation shaft, I give him time to slide down and make room for me, and then I silently follow, gently braking before I reach the lip of the tunnel. To my surprise, Thane grabs my waist and eases me down to the floor, placing me on my feet and then moves aside to let me lead the way. My heart is racing a mile a minute again, and my skin tingles through the fabric where his hands were. _God damn, what's my problem? He just helped me down so that i could lead the way through their security, is all. No need to get worked up about it._ I steady my heart rate again, and Thane flashes me a concerned glance. I wave him off, feeling crappy about my little white lie. Shaking off the feeling, I put all my attention to the task at hand, slowly but surely leading Thane through all the traps, and into the bank vault door room. I jump out of the shaft, landing gracefully on the balls of my feet, and uncoil my body to stand aside to let Thane jump down as well. He lands like a cat, gracefully standing, and like an idiot, tries to walk towards the vault. He very narrowly misses a laser as I yank him back to the safe zone. He glares at me, and I motion for him to stay there, and walk to the edge of the safe zone. I pull out my concealer compact and blow off the excess particles. Now he can clearly see the laser field. He looks ashamed, as he should. It was a rookie mistake that almost cost us the vault. I plot a course through the laser maze, and get to work, gently easing myself under and over lasers, having to resort to wild contortions, or daring flips, that even a stray hair could ruin. Lady Luck is on my side tonight, though, and I glide through without a hitch. Across the field of lasers, Thane is nodding approvingly, with a more than impressed look on his face. I can feel myself blush, but I hide it with a bow, and get to work on disabling the laser field. When it is done, I motion Thane over and give him a hacking moduel. He looks confused, and I just give him a 'how did you get around without me?' look and he shrugs sheepishly. Shaking my head, I reactivate the field, before someone can notice and check the room. Taking the hacking moduel from him, I plug it into my Omni tool, and the safes' encryption field. It takes me 30 minutes to crack, and boy did it make me work, then I scan the safe for alarms, and finding two, I use a concentrated mass effect field to disable the devices. Satisfied that the safe is cleared to open, I activate the magnet bolts and the door swings silently open. Leading Thane in, I pull a credit chit off the wall, and demonstrate how to use it, and transfer it to different accounts. Then I send him to one side, and I tackle the other, making sure to place everything exactly the way I found it. Thane does the same and it takes us only 20 minutes to get through the entire contents of the safe. Then I close the safe behind us and lock it, reactivate the defenses, and re-enable the camera inside. I take down the field, allowing Thane to pass, then turn it back on, and weave through it again. Then I boost him through the shaft and grab the grate, allowing him to pull me inside. I then close the grate and re-activate the camera, taking off the loop I had it on. Then it's back through the ventalation shaft, and up to the roof. I close the grate and re-arm the trigger, and lead Thane off the roof, through the bushes, the alley, and to the parking lot, driving away with just under 20 million creds, and all before opening time at 0500. I let Thane drive this time, and tranfer all the money off station to an account on the Planet Nixus in the Palladin Galaxy. "So, I think that I won, considering all the stuff I led you through tonight." He nods his head in reluctant agreement, and docks my car at my balcony carport.  
"I had no idea you were as good of a thief as you are an assassin." I smile as I step out and unlock the door to my Manse in the Zakera Wards.  
"Well, we do have a lot to tell each other from our time apart. It's good to have my old instructor back by my side, once again unable to find anything wrong with my performance." he laughs, his deep voice resonating off the stone walls. "Well, I don't know about you, Krios, but I am beat, so I'm gonna go and get some rack time, and you should as well. We have a busy night ahead of us tommorrow." I laugh evilly, and head up the stairs to my room. "Oh! I almost forgot! Your room is this first door on the left, on the second floor. I'll show you the other rooms when I'm not dead walking." He nods, and stretches his very toned arms and chest and my heart speeds up again. I brace my hand on the railing and steady my heart rate again. Just then I am aware of him very close behind me, looking at me with unfiltered concern.  
"Jade? Are you all right?" I nod and smile, and start up the stairs again, making sure my heart doesn't start racing again. _Maybe it's his fault._ I almost laugh. _This can't be happening, I can't have a crush on him, He's like 8 years older than me and that's like... what? 20 years in drell years? I don't even know what to think anymore. I mean... does it really matter? I'll live to be like, 150, and he'll be lucky if he lives to 85. Get a handle on yourself Jade. Do not become emotionally compromised. It'll just end badly for the both of you._ I collapse into bed, and dose off immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the note below this one repeating. IDK if y'all see it or not but I do, and it bugs me. LOL But seriously... Dat Thane tho


	5. The Duct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade finally gets to take Thane dancing, but will she get more than she expected?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So of course Jade won, and Thane may be more than happy to live up to his end of the bargain.

_I muffle my sobs as the sound of footsteps gets closer. Far away, I can still hear the screams as the Raiders rape and pillage the colony. The sounds of gunshots are less and less, as more of our people die fighting the oncoming Raiders. Not but and hour ago, another cruiser arrived, and took out the Alliance and Turian troops fighting for the Colony. There is no way they can be Batarian slavers, or even Collectors... there is just no way. The footsteps stop above me, and I can hear a slight shuffling as dirt is moved away from the door. I scramble quietly under the table just as the door swings open. I hear a creak on the bottom stair, and peek under the table cloth. A pair of lightly worn boots are stopped not but a foot away from me, facing in the other direction. The feet turn and walk to the small window not visible from the outside._ Oh God no, I have to sneeze _. I can't stop it so I try my best to muffle it with my shirt. The feet turn towards the table, and slowly head towards me. There is no way out but to run, so I bolt for the stairs to the door. I hear the person dart after me, swearing under his breath. I burst out of the door and take off running, as fast as I possibly can. I can hear my attacker catching up, so I kick up my speed a notch. I'm running as fast as I possibly can, but it's still not enough. My attacker runs up and tackles me, flipping me over and placing a firm hand over my mouth. Instead of a bug-like creature, I am looking into the face of a Drell, maybe 16 or so, and he gives me a level look before placing a finger on his lips, telling me to be quiet. Not far off, I hear a group of Bug-people walk by, talking in a strange language. I whimper softly, and he makes a calming gesture. The minutes tick by, slowly turning to hours, before the group moves on to another part of the colony. He then slowly takes his hand off my mouth, raising his brow at me, and when I nod he releases me. I scramble to my feet, my fists clenched with what I hope is a fierce look on my face. He smiles placating, and rises to his feet. He is significantly taller than me, and I have to crane my neck all the way back to look him in the eye. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He backs up a step, bows and whispers_  
 _"My name is Thane Krios, and I am saving your life, it seems." I glare at him. Why is he bothering with me and not helping my friends and family. I march towards the colony, feeling very, very ticked off at having been beaten by a boy to selfish to risk his life to save my people. He grabs my arm "Where do you think you're going?" he hisses. I try to pull away, to no avail._  
 _"I am going to go find my Mom and Pop." I glare at him, challenging him. A look of sorrow from him tells me all I need to know._  
 _"What is your name, child?"_  
 _"I am not a child, and my name is Jade, Jade Shepard." he nods as if suspecting this._  
 _"You look a lot like your mother, Jade. In her final moments, she asked me to take you from this place. She told me to tell you 'After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began.'" I fall to the ground, sobbing. My mother made me memorize it, it is an old Quarian poem that a Quarian friend of my Mom had taught her. She was obsessed with the Quarians, loved their songs especially. Thane offers a hand to me, and I take it, letting him lead me to his ship. When we arrive onto the loading bay, I turn and look out at my old home. Everything I had ever known... destroyed. I close my eyes and walk into the loading bay..._

Gasping, I bolt upright. My sheets are soaked again, and my pillow has wet marks from where my tears fell. I leave my bed, and turn on the shower. While I wait for the water to heat up, I turn around and find the tattoo on the back of my ribcage. "After time adrift among open stars..." I stop, feeling the tears pooling in my eyes. I enter the shower, allowing the steam to clear my mind and body of all stress. As I bathe, I find my mind wandering to Thane, and the almost brotherly role he took on as my trainer...

_"I want to learn, Krios! I don't want to be weak any more! Help me to be like you!" I cry, I can feel my composure slipping. He starts to walk away, so I grab his arm and pull hard, causing him to stumble backwards. "I can do it! I can learn! I really can!" He turns towards me._   
_"You are asking me to do something that goes against my morals. I promised your mother I would protect you! I will not ruin your life by teaching you how to kill, Jade. I will not."_   
_"Fine! Don't teach me then! I'm sure that Javik can teach me anything I need to know." Javik is Thane's Prothean partner. He looks absolutely furious._   
_"No, he won't. I won't let him."_   
_"Oh? And how are you going to stop him? He even thinks I should be learning these things! What are YOU going to do to change his mind?" He wilts slightly, knowing he can't take Javik in a fight. I smile triumphantly up at him. "So, when do I start?"_

I turn off the shower and step out. The time reads 0450. My God, I was asleep for almost a whole day! I get dressed into my exercise gear and head down to the second floor. I stop by Thane's room, but it is still dark and quiet in there, so I assume he is sleeping. I walk down the hallway to the third door down and enter, turning on the lights and gently closing the door behind me. I turn and scan the room, debating as to what exercise I should start with today. As I'm still feeling stressed, I resolve to do some Yoga. To start, I go into the Child Pose, and then do some Sun Salutations as a light warm up. I'm in the middle of the Scorpion Pose when Thane walks in wearing nothing but some sweatpants. My heart goes to my throat as I realize I'm in yoga pants and a sports bra. I look away and try to concentrate on holding my pose perfectly, for fear of losing my balance. "Sup?" I say as casually as I can. He shrugs, heads to the bench press, and gets to work, his strong arms easily lifting the 200 lbs. he added to the bar. I keep my cool, and focus on evening my heart rate to promote better balance. After I've held that pose for another 10 minutes, I gently release my body from the pose, and move into a calming Dhyana pose, continuing to slow my heart rate until it almost disappears entirely. I am barely breathing, deep in a meditative state, relaxing every fiber of my being, until all the stress leaves my body. Then I slowly raise it again, careful not to start it up too fast, and cause more problems than I had just repaired. As I slowly bring myself back, I am aware that the soft grunts from Thane's lifting have stopped. Without opening my eyes, I lay on my back and focus on my breathing, making sure I am fully relaxed before opening my eyes and sitting up. I look over at the bench press to see that Thane is watching me again. I am suddenly very aware of how late it is. "What time is it?" he shakes his head and checks his Omni tool.  
"It's 15:35. You've been like that for almost 14 hours. I was very worried." I laugh, sure that he is lying, and look at my Omni tool. Oh shit, he wasn't lying! How is that even possible? I look at him, feeling very confused.  
"Well, it's a good thing you didn't wake me, otherwise you would've overstressed my heart, and probably cause a tear." I shake my head. "I'm sorry I made you worried, I guess I just had a lot more stress to work out than I thought." I stand, and head to the door. "Well, I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready. You should do the same." he grimaces and I laugh, enjoying being able to torment him like this. It is appropriate payback for all the times he tortured me with suicides. After luxuriating in the shower for a few, I dry off and put on my party clothes and makeup. My outfit consists of a black silk, low-cut, crop top and a black lace miniskirt, and spiked black leather, knee-high boots with a heel and a lace choker. I lined my eyes with some charcoal black and grey, put on some pink lip gloss, and straightened my hair into a sleek pony tail reaching my lower back. Feeling like it's missing something, I search through my jewelry box and pull out a silver wrist cuff. I stand in the mirror and admire myself. Damn, I look good. Feeling like a sexy beast, I walk downstairs and into the living room. I turn on the TV and switch it to the News. "Oh, well look at that..."  
"Look at what?" I turn, startled that I did not hear him come up behind me.  
"Damn, Krios! Give a girl a heart attack, why don't you?" He doesn't even blink. I need to take him to a poker game, or something... I give him a sly smile. "Turns out that a bank was hit last night, and they took everything, all without leaving a single trace of them being there. They are especially confused as to how they managed to enter, and get through all the systems without tripping a single one." I hold up my hand for a high five. He cocks his head to the side, and furrows his brow. Sighing, I grab his wrist and guide his hand through the high five. I drop his wrist, shaking my head at him, and walk towards the car. He turns off the TV and follows me out the door, locking it behind him. As we drive towards The Duct, Thane tells me everything he knows about the Andromeda Galaxy. It is the home of the Protheans, the race of people that attacked Mindoir. They are far more advanced, and have been trying to take over our colonies for almost a decade. Most of Andromeda is a war zone, with only a fraction of it conquered by the Council forces. Most of the civilians, and important leaders were on the far side of the Galaxy, in a safe zone created by a mass effect field that fries the systems of any unwanted ship. Nodding, I land my car in a parking spot, and exit, locking it behind me and Thane. I lead him through the Commons, and into an alley. At the end of the alley is a dead end, stretching up to the next level of the Commons. Looking up I whistle, and a man leans over the Balcony. I pull out my member pass, and he disappears. Seconds later, the cloaking device is released and a door appears in front of us. I knock three times, pause and knock twice. The slit in the door opens and a man says  
"What's the passphrase?"  
"The Night be with you."  
"And also with you." He closes the slit and opens the door wide, allowing Thane and I entry.  
"Welcome back, Shepard. We missed your smiling face down here." I laugh and bump fists with the bouncer, and he slams the door shut behind us. I head towards the stairs, but Thane stops me.  
"The Night?" I laugh.  
"The Night, the essence of the Goddess of Night? Ever heard of her? No, you wouldn't have, would you? Well, it means something different for everyone, but tonight it means Samhain, the time to celebrate the dead and remember times with those you've lost, or some such crap. I don't really know if I explained it right. It's just what the owners believe, so the members play along to get in, whether they believe or not." He nods, but still looks confused. I let out a dramatic sigh and motion for him to follow as I walk down the stairs. I can feel my heart rate picking up, and I don't bother to hide it this time. I feel like a kid in a candy store, and I can't wait to get to the bottom. Halfway down, a deep, pulsing beat reaches us, and my heart rate kicks up even more, pounding in time to the music. Finally, we reach the end of the stairs, and come across not one, but five couples making out. I laugh and pick up my pace, eager to get into the thick of things. Thane catches up to me as I reach the edge of the throng of dancers. "God! It feels electric in here! You can practically see the energy!" I have to shout so he can hear me. He nods, and makes a drinking motion with his hand. I nod in agreement, and grab his hand, weaving him through the crowd, and to the bar. Once we have finally freed ourselves from the masses, I drop his hand and find two empty seats at the bar. I lean over the counter and wave the bartender over. He dances the whole way to me and takes our order. I order a Porn Star shot and Thane orders a shot of Batarian whiskey. I knock mine back, as does he, and before I know it we have drunk at least 20 shots each, and I'm only feeling slightly buzzed. Thane looks to be holding up reasonably well, considering his metabolism isn't nearly as high as mine. He has an Lx8 implant instead of an Lx9. I drink my 21st shot, and then I stop the bartender from giving me more. "Let's go see if you're as good of a dancer as you think you are." I can barely hear his laugh over the music. I get up and pull him behind me into the middle of the crowd. I pause for a second, letting the music and surrounding energy fill me. I get a feel for the beat, and attune my body to the thumping bass. Then I'm dancing, and I feel like I'm on fire. A group of girls let me into their circle, and we're all laughing and dancing doing stupid, funny dance moves just for the hell of it. It's around then that I start to feel very... mischievous. I scan the room for Thane and find him dancing alone... it's rather funny, just how bad he sucks at dancing. It occurs to me that he is watching me again, so I wave him over. When he shakes his head, I pout, and find a random Asari from the group. She's had her eye on me all night, and since she's A-sexual, who cares right? So I wave her over, and then we're all over each other, she leans close and says  
"I saw you with that Drell. You want to make him jealous?" she pulls back to look at me and I nod. So she comes up behind me and signals for me to start grinding on her. She keeps an eye on Thane for me, and gives me various descriptions of what she thinks is going through his head. Key word being 'thinks,' because his poker face is in full force right now. "Oh! He's coming over!" She squeals, "Just gonna say, you're welcome, because mmm mmm mmm, is he cute!" I laugh as Thane grabs my arm and pulls me away. I put on a pouty face  
"What did you that for?" no response. "What? I'm not allowed to have fun?" Still nothing, just blank. "Why do you even care who I dance with?" he blinks, looks away, and then back at me. I raise my brow at him. No... freaking...way...how the hell does he do that? Just completely blank faced, staring me down like that is not cool. I sigh "Is it because she's Asari? You know I'm not lesbian, right?" Not even a muscle twitch. "What, Krios. Are you jealous or something?" Bam! That gets a reaction... a panicked one, but a reaction nonetheless. "You are jealous, aren't you!" he clenches his jaw and looks out at the crowd. I snap my fingers in his face, "Look at me when I'm talking to you. Are you jealous? Answer me." and just like that, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me. I stand in shock for what feels like a minute, and just when he is about to pull away, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back, opening my mouth to let him in. He presses closer to me, and my senses are so filled with him that it's like he's taking over, dominating every fiber of my being. He is so strong, so intense as he claims my mouth. And I claim his right back. I gently bite his lip when he comes up for air, and he examines every minute detail of my face, committing it to his perfect Drell memory.  
"How about we get out of here?" His voice sounds husky, and my heart practically beats out of my chest.  
"Sounds great, actually." He takes my hand and leads us to the door, intertwining his fingers with mine.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm, that escalated quickly. ;) Gotta love that Asari. Our blue lady-friends are always so helpful aren't they?


	6. Lab Rat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a date goes horribly wrong, what will be the consequences for Shepard?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short but y'all that have read this far, thanks for your support! If you have any edits, please leave a comment. Not really sure if this is good or not, but I'll try to post regularly. Again Thank you!

As we exit the club, I get a nervous twinge deep in my gut. The door to The Duct closes behind us, and the sound echoes off the walls. For some reason Thane looks troubled, and isn't meeting my eyes as he holds fast to my hand, leading me through the alleys to our car. The nervous feeling gets worse. _Why the hell is it so quiet?_ I start to shake, and I feel a stabbing sensation in my temples. I come to a full stop, making Thane jerk back. His hold on my hand is very tight. "Thane, something is very wrong, I can feel it." A wave of nausea hits me, and I bend over, retching. Thane comes to my side instantly as I fall to the ground in pain. "What's wrong with me?" He still won't meet my eyes. "Thane, what have you done?" He closes his eyes and looks away, and my vision starts to fade.  
"You are very unique, Shepard. I was paid to bring you in for study. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I wish we could..." But I never got to hear the rest, the black that played at the corners of my vision threatened to overwhelm me as I see three dark figures come, and take me away...

*Beep...Beep...Beep...* "Ungggh" I groan as I try to sit up, only to find that I am strapped to a table, with a light shining in my eyes. I close my eyes quickly, and try to asses my situation. The table under me is metal, cool to the touch. I turn my head and look at my surroundings, bare except for some sadistic looking tools sitting on the table beside me. As I try to get up again, I am hit with a wave of intense pain. Gasping, I crane my head to look at my torso, shocked to find what looks like a recent surgery incision, just over the spot where my uterus would be. _Oh God, no... they wouldn't._ I bite back the sobs rising in my throat... _oh God please don't tell me they took it out._ I lift my head, and find three more incisions marking my body. _What did they do to me? Breathe, Jade... think. What could they want with you? You're only the best assassin in the Seven Galaxies, Krios be damned. Why, Krios... my friend, my brother, my first love... why would you sell me out?_ Just then the door opens and closes just as quickly, and yet, there is no one there. "Hello? Please, what's happening? Where the fuck am I and what the FUCK do you want from me?" I am practically screaming. I hear a slight mechanical whine as a camera near my head is disabled.  
"Hello, Shepard." the disembodied, female voice comes from my right. "I hear you've been looking for me." I see the air waver where the voice is coming from.  
"Who are you? Where am I?" I narrow my eyes at the spot the voice is coming from.  
"I am a friend, and I'm here to get you out of here... But I suppose you want all your parts put back, so you will have to wait for the right time, or you won't be coming out of here alive. Do you understand?" I nod slowly.  
"What are they doing to me?" I can hear her sigh as she moves to my left side, and gently place a hand on my incisions.  
"From what I've seen? You apparently have the right genetic code to have what they call an 'adaptation' done to you. I believe they are going to try to open your minds capacity to unlock full functionality. A normal human only uses 20% of their brain power, but from what I've seen of the other subjects, hidden in the unused parts of your mind are certain... abilities. The Protheans were the first to discover their mind's full capabilities, and the people here are doing the same to you." _What the fuck? Mind powers? These people MUST be Looney-tunes._  
"What is your name, and how did you find me?" she gently removes her hand from my incisions.  
"My name is Kasumi Goto, and I heard of your interest in me, so I decided to investigate. I saw what the Drell did, but I couldn't get to you in time to warn you."  
"I see... what did they take out, Miss Goto?"  
"It's just Kasumi, and they took out some of your... I believe they called them 'Genetically Imperfect' organs, and are currently bringing them to full-functionality." I close my eyes at that. _Well, At least I won't be sterile any more._ I start to laugh, but it rips at my stitches, so I stop. "That would include your heart, your kidneys, and your uterus."  
"How the hell am I still alive then?" I hear her tap on a machine that is pumping fluid into my veins. _Well, apparently I DID have a heart condition... what a relief._ I snort a laugh. "So... when do you think they'll put me back together." she is quiet for a moment.  
"Soon I think, I could check, but I don't really feel comfortable leaving you here alone." I feel strangely thankful that she will be watching over me.  
"Do you have any idea who these people are?" I hear her take a deep breath. _She must think I will take it badly, obviously, or she would've told me by now._  
"You are on Pragia, in a Cerberus Genetic Research Facility." I gasp. _God damn space pirates! How dare they betray me! I gave those bastards everything, and they still want more? Typicall Alliance bull. How could I be so stupid?_ Just as I am about to say something, the door bursts open, and Kai Leng enters the room, smirking.  
"Why, hello there Jade! What on Earth are you doing here?" He asks innocently.  
"Spare me the bullshit, Leng. Tell me what the fuck is going on and why the hell you've got me strapped to the table?" The smirk is gone, replaced by a cold, hard stare.  
"And here I thought you had a thing for being tied up... or is that only with your Drell lover?" _Well shit, he heard everything I told Thane. Hell, Thane was probably the one who told him._  
"Go fuck yourself, I never said we had anything serious. I can't help it if I'm so gorgeous you fell in love. That's not my problem, it's yours..." I am cut off as he slaps me, hard, across the face.  
"You would save yourself a lot of trouble is you would just shut your whore mouth, Jade." I growl at him through clenched teeth. _Oh... now you're gonna die Leng... I hope you're ready._  
"I thought you liked me with my mouth open, or was I mistaken?" He grabs me by the throat and slams my head onto the table. "Is that the best you can do?" He does it again, using his biotics to dent the table with my head. I spit blood in his face. "That is the best you can do, isn't it? You probably have orders to make sure not too much damage is done to your new lab rat, huh?" He curses under his breath, and I laugh.  
"You bitch, when this is over, you're gonna get what you deserve!" He presses his mouth hard on mine. " I can't wait to utilize all your future upgrades, pet." He roughly grabs my girly bits, placing his other hand at my throat. "Then I can have all the fun I want with you, and you will be powerless to stop it." He throws his head back, and laughs, his hands still digging into my throat. I can barely breathe but I manage to gather my biotics, and rip off a restraint, punching him in the balls with the full force of my raw biotic power. He quickly releases me, and falls to the floor, screaming.  
"Good luck having any kind of fun now, Leng." I laugh as people in lab coats retrain me and pull Kai out of the room. Having spent the last of my energy, I can barely put up a fight as they restrain my arms again, and sedate me. Just before I black out, after the lab coats left, I hear Kasumi approach my head.  
"I'm not sure if that was entirely wise, but you certaintly made my day, Shepard." I smile weakly, and surrender to the black abyss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok... I am feeling the hate from the Thane fangirls and boys. I'm sorry! But they aren't destined to get down and dirty just yet! Plus there's this thing in the way... you'll see what I mean later. :)


	7. A Daring Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even in the most dire situations, Shepard still has capable friends, even if she didn't know she had them. Cerberus gets what's coming in this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so I have already posted this stuff on another forum, so I am basically just copying it over from my account on fanfiction.net. After the chapter that comes next, I am going to try to post regularly on Sundays. Please feel free to give some feedback as to what direction I should go, cause I needs to bounce ideas for inspiration! Love you all! Interweb hugs for all!
> 
> P.S.: Sorry this chapter is so short, but Jade just wasn't up for a huge fight. Better to let Kasumi handle it.

The piercing screech of the alarm drags me up into conciseness. I feel my restraints being released one by one, and a presence hovering over me. BAM! A palm slams into my face full force and I wake fully. I slam my hands over my ears and curl into a ball on the metal table. "Come on, Jade! You have to hurry, we don't have much time!" She grabs me roughly and stands me up. I am wearing nothing but a hospital gown and an IV. I rip the IV out of my arm and wrap it in a strip of gown. I tie it off as I follow her through the lab. Through the glass windows on either side, test subjects are ripping apart the lab coats and... eating them? One of the subjects in question looks up at me grinning lopsidedly as she chews on a chunk of scientist. My eyes widen and I pick up my pace.  
"So I take it you let out the Lab Rats." she nods, keeping a brisk pace through the disturbingly empty hallways.  
"I had an opportunity and I took it. Just in time too, they were about to start the gene cell therapy. I've seen what they do for that. It looks... painful." I grimace as she kicks open a door into a hall of storage bins. She heads straight to the back and pulls out a bin, slamming it on the table in front of me. "These are all your belongings. Get dressed." I pull out my party dress from the night club.  
"Seriously?" she scoffs.  
"Well would you rather make a daring escape wearing that," she gestures to the gown "Or this?" I incline my head and strip out of the hospital gown and into my club gear. I slip on the heels and strap on my medigel dispenser. Kasumi hands me a gun and I take it, as well as my remaining things out of the bin. "Oh, and here's your... umm, Omni tool." She hands me a bundle of micro wires and gooey interface projectors. Looking at my arm I then notice that the scar from the initial instillation looks fresh. Those Cerberus Bastards!  
"Well fuck me."  
"Cute, come on." She motions for me to follow and jogs to the door, checking both hallways before motioning me forward. It's very quiet now, almost too quiet, and the click of my heels can be heard clearly through the now empty, bloodstained halls. I step over a body at the security checkpoint, chunks of flesh have been ripped off and his face is barely distinguishable from the pile of remains scattered about. I quickly grab the keys off him, trying not to vomit, and clear us through the door. With one hand on my gun, and the other tightly grasping the security key card, I cautiously make my way through the cargo storage. The farther up we go, the louder the sound of pounding rain and thunder gets. I shoot Kasumi a questioning glance. "Pragia has dense, jungle like vegetation that can grow full size in under 24 hours, this is caused by the near constant rain storms blowing in from the coast. The landing bay is on the top, that's where our shuttle is waiting for us." I shoot her a glance.  
"You brought in a third party?" She nods once and continues on to scope ahead.  
"It was necessary. As a precaution all Cerberus owned ships were rigged with explosive devices. If facial recognition fails... boom. Big explosion, very dramatic. That happened last month." I stop, my hold on the gun wavering. I straighten and lower my gun.  
"Kasumi... how long have I been here?" she goes stiff, and angles her head in my direction.  
"How long do you think you've been here?"  
"Four days" she sighs and walks to me, stopping not but two inches from me, voice lowered so we wont be heard over the pounding rain.  
"Jade, you've been here for 5 years"  
"I... what?"  
"You've only been awake four times since so yes, to you it's only been four days. But to everyone else... well they all think that Shepard skipped town, retired or worse. You've a lot of work to do when we leave here. We can't trust your old information network, but we should definitely keep you finding the clients instead of the other way around." I nod, feeling numb and cod with shock. My God... five years. Five years of horrible tests and modifications to my body. Why? So I can have the same powers the Prothean's do? Is the war even being waged any more? If it's over then who won? What happened to Thane? Thane... that fucking traitorous bastard. He needs to die for what he did to me! The numbness is replaced by the fire of anger, and the burning need for revenge. I storm past Kasumi and onto the roof, stopping before I am in the line of sight of the waiting shuttle. The rain pours down with a fury, fueling my rage, and soaking me to the bone. By the time Kasumi makes it to the roof, the steady pounding of the rain on my body has calmed me enough that I can carry on a conversation without ripping apart a bulkhead. She takes one look at me, sulking in the pouring rain, completely soaked, and shakes her head. She gently takes my arm and guides me to the landing pad. The door to the shuttle slides open to reveal a Quarian holding a medical scanner. Suddenly, I feel light headed and completely drained of energy. I collapse into a heap on the floor of the shuttle, and the Quarian woman pulls me the rest of the way in as Kasumi slides the door shut behind her. They lay me on my back as the shuttle takes off, and the woman starts to take scans.  
"I see they took out her Omni tool." Kasumi nods.  
"Shouldn't be a problem, I'll get her the newest model ASAP."  
"Thanks Tali. Knew I could count on you." Kasumi tells the woman. Why is that name and voice so familiar. Kasumi enters the cockpit and slides the door closed behind her, leaving Tali and I alone.  
"I don't suppose you would remember me, Jade Michigan Shepard. But I was a good friend of your mother. 'After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began.'" I can see her smile through the helmet. My eyes burn as I fight back tears. Here I thought I had no family left, and Aunt Zhorra shows up out of the blue, taking care of me like usual.  
"I never thought I'd see you again." She grabs my hand, and I weakly squeeze it.  
"Well, you did kind of disappear for a few years. Then I had no way to get in contact with you while I was negotiating with the Geth. And once I finally got away, you disappeared again. I had given up all hope of ever seeing you again until Kasumi contacted me. She took pictures of you while you were out and sent me status reports when she could get to you. We planned this out perfectly it seems. Now hold still while I implant your new Omni tool." I bite my lip as she guides the laser through my skin. She flashes me an apologetic smile, and slides the new, complex webbing into place, gently massaging out the kinks till it lays comfortably under my skin. Then she stitches the incision up and applies a bandage. "Remember when you got your first Omni tool?" I nod, grinning sheepishly at the memory as she lays my head on her lap. "I remember that day... you were so excited, you were finally going to be able to contact the outside world on your own, and you were oh so excited to have me install it for you that very day. Couldn't wait to make a trip to the hospital, huh? You had to have it right then." She laughs. "You came bounding into my office and handed it to me. You were so shocked wehn I pulled out the scalpel." We laugh together, her hand tightly gripping mine, the other stroking my hair. "When i made the first incision you were so brave, you didn't even flinch when it snagged on that surprise nerve bundle." She beams down at me. "We were both so proud of you, your parents and I. Before I left, I had all these plans of taking you to Rannoch and letting you see my family home. I was going to teach you all the things I taught your mother. You're the daughter I never had, and I was so sure that there would be more time. That I would not only get to see you grow up, but see your kids grow up as well. I should've been there. I should've died with them. It's where I belonged after all." I grip her hand tightly.  
"No Tali, you belonged with your people, helping with the negotiations with the Geth. Dying with my parents would've truly left me with no one, and I'm glad you weren't there. I can't change the past and neither can you, and I know for a fact that Mom would not want you to think like this. You were her best friend, and I know that she was very glad that you were not there so that someone could look after me when they were gone. But when Thane came along... I'm so sorry, Tali. I chose to go with him because I hated being weak, and not able to fight the people killing my family and friends. All I could think about was what I could've done had someone had just taught me how to use this." I flare my biotics across my skin. "You should've seen him Tali, he moved like water, graceful yet deadly. Very, very deadly. And Dad trusted him, so did Mom. I was going to come back, when I was strong, but I couldn't face you. I could've told you that I was alive at least, told you where I was going and what I was going to do but I didn't because I was afraid that you'd stop me and..." She grabs me and hauls me into her lap, rocking me back and forth like a child.  
"It's alright, little love. I understand." She starts to sing the lullaby she used to sing when Mom was at work and I got nightmares. Despite all the pain and horror I had endured until that moment, and the overwhelming sense of panic, I felt extremely safe in my surrogate mother's arms. Gently rocking me, she runs her hand through my hair and sings me into a deep peaceful sleep.


	8. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade Shepard is finally right where she belongs, traveling through space to unknown destinations. But with some interesting developments in the works, can she make it through the day in one piece?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ok so I had some MAJOR writer's block. I wanted to go one direction, but it ended up being wayyyyy to sci-fi for my tastes (and I'm a sci-fi freak). Been occupied visiting my half-brothers and they are very time consuming (but I love them!!!). So I have FINALLY, after listening to Lindsey Sterling albums non stop (Shatter Me Album really gave me some great inspiration for this chapter!) the story will continue! I want to thank everyone who has read this far, I am constantly looking at my views and It's great to know that I've managed to keep a few of you! Also, quick warning: For all you Thane lovers... I'm sorry for this chapter, but there has got to be a beat down for betraying Shepard... There's just no other way. Now I will stop blabbering and let y'all read! Enjoy!!!! :D*

My eyes fly open to reveal that I am no longer in the shuttle. Feeling an overwhelming sense of panic, I scan the room, my eyes coming to rest on what looks like an observation port. I rise out of the silk sheets, and find myself dressed in a black lace tank top and jeans. I raise my eyes back to the window and step up to the glass. Floating below is a blue-green gas giant, with a small, green and blue planet orbiting it. My vision starts to waver and I fall to the ground, an overwhelming sense of nausea bringing tears to my eyes. I feel a wave of energy hit me, and my mind explodes with the force of the voices in my head. I am vaguely aware of someone screaming, and I distantly realize it's me. I feel, not hear, the door open on the other side of the room, and feel gloved, three-fingered hands, on my shoulders lifting me up, and cradling me. I open my eyes to see not Tali, but a strange red Turian with white facial markings and green cat eyes. He opens his mouth but I do not hear him speak, I am drowning in the voices. Instead I hear one voice louder than all the others. 'Spirits, what is wrong with her? What does she mean, the voices are too loud?' in a small place in the back of my mind, I become dimly aware that the loudest person must be the one holding me. Like an instinct, I place my hand on his face and as the power flows into him, I see everything. Snippets of things barely remembered, fleeting thoughts, pictures, sounds, smells. _"Stupid boy, go find someone else_ _to bother...' 'Love? Ha! Is that what you thought this was?' deep sorrow and loss, I grab at an image of ashes being spread eyes downcast as guns fire loud in the air. I_ _let it fly by and grab another, staring up at the Council, Sparatus in his deep voice 'Welcome to the Spectres, Nihlus. Remember...' I let it go and search for more,_ _needing it like a man lost in the desert needs water. A tall, intimidating Turian with glowing blue eyes, and cybernetic mandibles glaring menacingly at me, us... him._ _The same Turian's face flits through my mind, many memories, most of sour looks or insults. The last of them, the same Turian, fiercely proud, and a feeling of awe_ _spreads over me, a sense of accomplishment, approval._ My hand falls away and the spiraling thoughts fade, and the voices return, quieter now, but still pushing me over the edge. Using all my strength, I push past the wall of voices, forcing them into a low drone at the back of my skull. I blink open my eyes to find Nihlus still staring down at me, a mixed look of awe and rage. He must have felt me inside his mind. I clear my throat, and lower my eyes as he sets me on my feet. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know that was going to happen, I swear!" He pulls his mandibles tight against his face, and stands up very straight.  
 "It's alright. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it. I suppose I don't need to introduce myself, do I?" I blush and shake my head.  
 "You're Nihlus Kryik. You are quite famous. So... this is my room? I am to be a permanent resident?" He nods, his mandibles flicking slightly as if he is uncomfortable with me knowing things before he tells them to me.  
 "Due to your certain... abilities, I am making you my second in command." I blink in surprise, I didn't see this coming.  
 "Why?" He flares his mandibles in a smile.  
 "Well, I have yet to pick anyone up to supply the ground operations. I made your friend Kasumi head of security on this vessel, Tali is the lead engineer, and Aria is at the head of the Intel operation. All I need is a capable XO and we can get started with recruitment." I nod and turn my back to him, and focus on the planet below me.  
 "Alright, makes sense," Not really, is this a test? "Although I insist to be checked out by a medial professional. I have no idea what Cerberus did to me, or what that was," I wave my hand dismissively at the spot on the floor he found me on. "So I must insist that I am cleared for duty before I am put in charge of important projects." He seems pleased, and I reach out slightly, becoming aware of the vessel and the crew. 52 souls aboard... interesting. The ship definitely feels big,and has a power unlike any other. I cock my head to the side and breathe in deeply. I am hit with a deep, almost sandalwood scent, and my body responds violently. "You brought Thane Krios aboard?" I sense a spike of panic from him as I turn around and march out the door, following the traitorous scent.  
 "Wait! Shepard!" I brush him off as he grabs for my arm. He steps in front of me before I can reach the elevator and pushes me against the wall, pinning me as I try to escape. "Jade!" I stop, momentarily surprised as he uses my first name. "Wait, and let me explain! And please calm down, my pilot would be very upset if you destroy the ship." I am then aware of the energy I am pulling from the ship. My eyes widen and I let it go, giving full power back to the ship. The crew sounds relieved when the lights flicker back on. He raises his brow plate at me and I nod once. He releases me gently and gestures back to my room. I nod and follow him in. Now that I have a chance to properly survey the room, I find a desk with files and a terminal on the left side of the room.  
 "An office?" He feels sheepish  
 "Yes, as my XO you will have to file reports on the missions and make sure the ship runs smoothly. It's actually not a lot of work, but I have a lot of other things to do, such as review dossiers, plan ground team movements, assign squad members to jobs that suit their skills. So on and so forth." I smile and he gestures for me to sit. I take a seat in a leather armchair and look out at the stars and planets. "Joker, plot a course to the Citadel."  
 "Yes sir. ETA 36 hours. Joker out."  
 "Is that the pilot? He's human isn't he? I can smell him." He looks slightly disturbed by my observation. "Sorry," I grimace. "Wrong choice of words."  
 "Can you actually smell him?" I nod. "Can you... smell everyone." I nod again.  
 "Everyone onboard has a distinct scent. A few are so similar you probably couldn't tell the difference, but I can. Fucking Cerberus pricks. At least I'll always know when I'm being followed." He laughs at that, and I am surprised to find that his laugh has a warm, rich sound. I hide my blush with my hands, making myself seem stressed. "So, why the hell is Thane Krios aboard?" He is clearly uncomfortable.  
 "He is a prisoner. When I was told about his betrayal, we immediately detained him. When we tried to... interrogate him, he let nothing slip." I snort. Stubborn bastard. What is he playing at?

"Lemme guess, you want me to 'interrogate' him right?" He has the decency to look ashamed.  
 "Yes, although with your newfound abilities, you would not have to resort to traditional means of gaining information. Either way, the cameras won't be recording." I shoot him a startled look.  
 "Don't you want him alive or something?"  
 "No, we got him for you." I blink.  
 "Why?'  
 "As a favor, do what you want with him. All I ask is for you to help me with my mission."  
 "Your mission... the one to deal with Saren?"  
 "Yes, he needs to be stopped before any more people get hurt." I nod and rise. He rises with me, and I become very aware of just how tall he is. He offers his hand and I shake it, looking him square in the face. He waves his hand and I follow him out the door. We step into the elevator and he presses a button for the fourth deck.  
 "Why is this elevator so slow?" I ask. He laughs.  
 "I honestly don't know." We laugh to ease the tension. I wipe the tears off my eyes as the door opens and my smile instantly fades. Chained to a chair in the middle of the room,

his back to us, is Thane. From what I can tell, he is asleep, with his head slumped forward and breath even. On either side of him are cells, all empty with only one door ajar.  
 "It's really him..." I bite my lip and slow my heart rate to keep myself calm.  
 "Yes, it is. I'll have the recording stopped, and EDI monitoring you." I glance up at him. "It's just so you know when to stop, if he hasn't given the information yet." I nod and smile grimly at him. "I'll let you work then..." He turns into the elevator, and I hold his gaze till the doors close. When I hear the elevator start to rise I turn back slowly. My knees feel weak, and my palms are cold and clammy. I take deep breaths, furious that he can still affect me like this. _Five years...._ _five years and he just went around, business as usual. He apparently never gave a damn about me, that much is clear. Asshole. And I fell for it, everything he told me,_ _everything we did together... a lie, all of it. Some stupid ploy to get me to trust him, an easy way to drug me, and leave me to the dogs. Was all the days training a lie_ _too? I can't discount that as a possibility, but even thinking about it makes me want to cry so I stop. You are stronger than this! Do not let this bastard get to you. You_ _know what he will do. He has no power over you now._ I steel myself and stride in front of the chair he is chained to. I pull up a stool and sit, leaning close to get a better look at his face. His eyes are closed, and his face is untouched, pristine. Upon further inspection I realize that they have done nothing to him other than tie him to the chair. So he was serious when he said interrogating. Hmm... Maybe he left me all the fun parts. I turn my face into a cold mask of indifference, when he wakes he will not see what he has done to me, how bad he hurt me. I take one more deep breath, raise my hand and slap him full across the face, and his eyes fly open as his head whips back. When his gaze focuses on me, I feel his surprise as he recognizes me and yet, nothing in his face changes. Good thing I got some upgrades or I'd be pissed right now.  
 "Hello Jade." I backhand him again, opening a gash on his cheek. His eyes roll back as he stops his head from rolling again.  
 "Don't call me that, you have lost the right." I am surprised by how cold and calm I sound.  
 "What do I call you then?" his tone is mocking.  
 "Shepard."  
 "Alright Shepard, what do you want?" I roll my eyes at his conversational tone.  
 "Obviously I want to know why." He looks away and I slap him again. I can smell pain on him, not physical... emotional. Good.  
 "Why what?" I scoff  
 "Don't play coy with me, you know damn well what I'm talking about. You're damn lucky I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself," I put as much venom into my next words as I can "For _old times' sake_." He flinches, and it is so unlike him, that I am genuinely surprised. I keep my face cold and my voice hard though. _I_ _won't let him see what he's done to me._  
 "I....They... They took my wife and son, Shepard." My heart stops beating as I think back to all the slight touches, the tension, the dancing, and possessive kiss. I stand, my stool falling back as I pace, thinking of everything we had done, and what we would've done. _He had a wife and he still came after me! Was it just_ _because it was easier to accept my flirting and use it? No... that kiss was too jealous, too possessive. He held me like he didn't want to let go. I even let him grope me!_ My breath is coming in pants and I feel my anger building. I stride up to him and slap him as hard as I can, twice. He spits out blood and glares up at me.  
 "You cheated on your wife... with me." he scoffs  
 "It's not like we did anything serious."  
 "You kissed me, and... and... felt me up and you had a wife! You bastard! How could you do that to her?" he looks confused.  
 "I thought you'd be more mad that I lied to you."  
 "I'm not heartless, prick. I can't believe... I would kill you if I were her." He smiles ruefully.  
 "I wouldn't blame her if she did."  
 "And you liked it! I could feel it! It would be different had there been no feeling there, but you were jealous and possessive...."  
 "Maybe I am just a good actor." I lean in close, he is lying, I can feel it.  
 "You can't lie to me anymore, Krios. Not after what Cerberus did to me. What you did to me. Honestly, I should thank you for doing at least one thing right. I can feel it when you lie to me, I can feel your emotions through the words you speak. Every time you open your mouth, I can feel exactly the emotions behind it." His mask drops and I feel it all, the pain, regret, fear, awe, and the underlying layer of desire. "What were the details of your agreement?"  
 "I was to get close to you, learn how you operate, and then lead you into a trap. You covered your bases so well, I almost wasn't able to ambush you. By winning that bet, you gave me the perfect opportunity to lead you into that trap." I shake my head slowly.  
 "Alright. What exactly did you tell them about my operations."  
 "I told them I wasn't able to get close enough to know how you worked." He's lied to me again. I summon my biotics and punch him in the gut. He coughs and wheezes, and spits out a mouthful of blood.  
 "Shepard, another hit like that and he will have to be operated on, as of right now there is no internal bleeding, but he has taken heavy bruising to three of his major organs and intestines." EDI's voice calls through the speakers.  
 "Thanks EDI."  
 "Logging you out"  
 "Well, it looks like that AI just saved your life." He looks up at me.  
 "You're going to kill me aren't you?" I give him a cold smile as he coughs and wheezes.  
 "Depends on whether or not you stop lying to me." he glares up at me and I walk over to the stool and place it back in front of him. "EDI, will he die if I slap or punch him in the face?"  
 "No, it won't, unless you use biotics."  
 "Noted."  
 "Logging you out, Shepard." I smile coldly at him again.  
 "So... are we going to be more cooperative, or are we going to do this the hard way? Honestly, I would prefer that you keep lying. It would give me a reason to beat the shit out of you."  
 "I can't tell you anything, I'm sorry." he sighs.  
 "Are you sure?" he nods. I swallow the lump in my throat. "Alright, as you wish." I step up to him as his head rolls back, his eyes meeting mine. I give him a small smile as I place my hands on either side of his head and release my hold on the voices. All at once, the voices swarm me again, some louder than others. I become briefly merged into Nihlus's mind again, as he has been watching from observation the whole time. I am immediately sucked into a sea of vivid, lifelike-images. _A_ _panicked feeling as a man smiles a bloody, crooked smile up at me. I feel my finger pull the trigger, and quickly pray for forgiveness as his body crumples to the ground._ _Messy, poorly planned, this one is displeased.... A small child darts ahead through the stalks of corn, I launch myself towards her, she screams and I slide my hand to_ _her mouth, stifling her scream. She is dirty, her red hair matted and muddy, her green eyes shining with tears..._ I pull my hands away, tears in my eyes. He stares, bewildered up at me as I turn away. I feel a deep keening building up in me, and I have to leave. I stride to the elevator and press the button to my floor. I close my eyes as the elevator slowly takes me to my room. The door slides open and I rush out, headed to my room, when I run flush into a grey Turian with blue face paint. I mumble an apology and duck my head, speeding towards my room. I feel the piercing, ice-blue gaze follow me until the doors to my room open. I lock the door behind me and collapse into a heap on the bed. I am vaguely aware of a soft knock on the door as I sob into the pillow, and the sound of feet moving away. I pull myself together as the bell chimes for dinner. I sit up and fix my clothes and hair, keeping a tight hold on the chorus of voices in the back of my mind. Try as I might, I can't get them to stop. Maybe I'm just doomed to forever hear voices in my head.... like a freaking psychopath.  I unlock the door and stride into the mess. Sitting at the various tables is a mix of Salarians, Humans, Turians, Quarians, and Asari. I hear someone come up behind me and stop next to me. "Hello Nihlus."  
 "Hello Jade. Care to eat with me?" I glance up at him and he smiles slightly.  
 "Alright, lead the way." He steps up to the counter to grab a tray and I follow suit. The room quiets slightly as people give us strange looks. I feel the ice-blue gaze on me again, and I scan the room, but I can't seem to find the source. Instead of dwelling on it, I focus on the steady, warm green eyed gaze locked with my own. I smile up at him as I follow him to his room. The feeling of being watched continues until we round the corner to the elevator. We step inside and make the slow ascent up to the Loft...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now is the point when updates will come every Sunday. For those of you coming here from fanfiction.net, welcome my lovelies! I will be posting here from now on, and I hope you enjoy the direction I am taking it. I sense the starting of a love triangle! It's like these things write themselves.   
> Side note: I am actively looking for a Beta. If anyone is interested, please PM me! Thanks!


	9. Plans and Praises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's dreams plague her, and there seems to be someone familiar aboard. If only he would stop hiding from her. POV switches and fluff!!! Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK.. so this one is short, mostly because I have been working doubles this week. To make it up to y'all I will be posting two chapters next week Sunday, and maybe one this Wednesday... we shall see. Thank you all who have read thus far! Interweb cupcakes for you! And special thanks to TiernyWho for introducing me, inadvertently, to some awesome music. Seriously, y'all should read his stuff.

_"Jade... remember that secret place?" he looks back at me._   
_"Yes, I remember" tears stream down my face as I futilely pull against his grip. "Garrus! We have to go back! Let me go!" he tightens his grip. Suddenly he stops. "Garrus?" he holds a finger to his mouth, cocking his head. Just then, I hear footsteps and shouts._   
_"Jade, you need to run. Go to our secret place. Hide there, and I'll come find you, OK?" he pushes me forward. "Go!"_   
_"Garrus, I'm not leaving you!" I hiss. The footsteps draw closer._   
_"Yes, yes you are" he bolts off, crashing through the corn stalks, making as much noise as possible. He's to fast, I can't possibly follow, so I run towards our hideout. I have just reached the hill when I hear Garrus shout in pain. I turn and see them drag him off towards their ship._

"Garrus!" I bolt upright, tears streaming down my face, a sense of loss heavy on my heart.... _"She doesn't want to see me, too many memories"..._

  
  _Stop being a coward and knock on her door, Vakarian! She'll be happy to know you are alive!_ He shakes his head, hand hovering next to the door. "Garrus!" the shout comes from inside the room, followed by sobbing. _She doesn't want to see me, too many memories..._ He walks away from the door, sorrow weighing heavy on his heart...

  
 I scramble to get dressed as the presence moves away from the door. _That voice... it sounded so familiar. Could it be? No, that's ridiculous, he's dead. Get a grip on yourself woman! This is all a result of having psychopaths mess with your brain, unless ghosts are real.... Nonsense._ Still... the feeling of urgency, the call of fate, is urging me to get dressed and find the voice beyond the door. I open the door and slide into the hallway, silently. I breathe deep, and I catch the very fresh smell of rain, and freshly moved earth. I moan inaudibly, my two favorite smells... I follow the mysterious scent, until Nihlus sees and intercepts me. "Hey there, XO. You look like you are on a mission." I ignore him, scanning the room through slitted eyes, and storm past him, I catch the scent again, quickly fading as the door to the forward batteries close and lock. I storm up to the door and press the call button. "That's not a good idea, Jade. When he does that it means he needs to be alone. You see, he suffers from PTSD, after an attack on his colony caused him to be taken by slavers. When he gets bad he locks himself in there so as to cool down and not harm others. Alea can tell you all about what happens when his space is compromised during a flashback." He gestures to an Asari with a long scar across her cheek. She looks up at me as I examine the scar and gives me a small smile. I smile back and gesture to my room.  
 "So, if he is that dangerous, why do you keep him aboard?"  
 "He knows when they are about to hit, says it feels like vertigo. And after that first time, he has never gotten violent again."  
 "Hmm, I'd like to meet him sometime. Does he ever leave that room?"  
 "Not often, he is usually busy calibrating the guns to get the best efficiency. It's become sort of a running joke among the rest of the crew."  
 "I can imagine" my dry tone makes him laugh. He claps me on the shoulder as we enter my room. I gesture for him to sit and I transfer multiple files into  a data pod. I stand before him and hold it out to him. He looks surprised and takes it, scrolling through the contents.   
 "What's this?" I smile.  
 "It's a list, in the order I think should be done to maximize efficiency." he raises a brow plate and gestures for me to continue. I perch on the arm of his chair and scroll through the dossiers to the first one. I tap on the alias 'The Convict.' "We should get him first. Let me explain why, in order to truly be effective in the missions where stealth is not an option, we need a stable line of shock troopers to punch hard, and leave an opening for a precision strike. I went over the data on Horizon, and there seems to be few options to infiltrate, but one that would be perfect... here," I zoom into the satellite picture of a ventilation shaft. "I don't have the same upgrades I used to, and if there is an alarm, and cameras, everyone will be too distracted by our well placed shock team to notice..." As I continue to brief Nihlus on how I would do things, I feel... happy, like I have a purpose. I lean closer to switch the screen when Nihlus places a hand on mine.  
 "It's very well planned. You did a good job. I'll expect you to be on the ground team when we hit Purgatory." My breath catches. Even after letting that kindly doctor poke and prod at me, I still don't know how ready I will be for combat. He can sense my nervousness and gently squeezes my hand. "You'll do fine, Chakwas cleared you for duty." I nod slightly but his hand doesn't leave mine. Our eyes hold for a moment and then he clears his throat, uncomfortable. " Well, I have to go brief the others on the game plan. I expect to see you ready at 0800 tomorrow." I nod and he pulls his hand away. I lead him to the door and close it behind him.I sit in the chair and watch the stars fly by. I hear him change our course to Purgatory and smile slightly. I look at the time. _1245... damn. Well since I've got time to kill, I might as well go and get some more answers from Thane._ I exit my room and make my way to the elevator, aware of the feeling of being watched. I pause mid-step and look for the source. The feeling disappears as the door to the forward battery closes. I bite off a sigh and continue towards the elevator. _Last thing I need is a goddamn stalker..._

 I wake to a throbbing pain in my gut as the lights flick back on. I hear footsteps behind me and keep my head down, knowing it's her. Her smell is sweet, like the flowers of Kahje. She walks slowly and purposefully towards me, and places the stool infront of me again. I hear her sigh as she snaps her fingers in front of my face. "I know you're awake Krios." I raise my head, feeling her presence in the back of my skull, assessing my every emotion. When I meet her eyes she smirks, eyes cold and calculating. Hirashu, please... help her to forgive me....


	10. Breaking Purgatory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan goes off without a hitch and the crew member Archangel seems to be a capable soldier, but when another wanted criminal walks aboard the Normandy, are the tensions going to be too much for Jade to handle?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I would like to apologize for putting this off for a year... I kinda fried my computer and I never really put forth the effort to get it fixed. But it's all good now, so I'm just gonna post whenever. Again, sorry about the wait. Thanks for reading!

I make my way down to _her_ room, hoping to catch another glimpse of her, maybe even find it within myself to say something to her, to see if she would recognize me after so long. It seems just yesterday we were plaing in the fields while the farmers sowed their seeds... _"Garrus, why are you looking at me like that?" she giggles up at me, eyes wide an innocent._

_"Like what?" I say, voice thick with feinted ignorance. She rolls her eyes and shoots me a toothy grin._

_"Like that!" I shake my head at her like i don't understand._ It wouldn't do for me to say how strangely I'm feeling, she'd just be concerned and that would REALLY make her a pain to deal with. _She huffs impatiently as I continue to look at her, deep in thought. "Well if you're not going to tell me then... fine! I was done playing today anyway." She turns around and stomps back to the colony. I shake my head at her antics. She'll_ be over it by tomorrow. _The sound of footsteps draws my attention over to a Quarian woman making her way to me._

_"Hello there Garrus." she kneels down to my height as she looks at me._

_"Hello Mrs. Zorah." she laughs and shakes her head._

_"So, I couldn't help but notice how you were looking at my neice." I feel the heat rise under my plates as I realize she had seen Jade and I playing, and had guessed what I was thinking. "Oh don't be embarrased, it's completely natural for a Turian of your age to take special interest into certain people. Just remeber that humans mature in that way slower than most species. It may be some time before she is ready to take special interest in you, so please be gentle with her." I nodd at her and look away bashfully. She laughs and walks off, leaving me standing there pondering everything she had just said..._

I shake my head as if to clear the memory from my brain as I approach her door. I ping the button and wait, only to get no response. I open the door and poke my head in, but find the room empty.

"She's not in there." I jump at the voice behind me, recognizing it as Nihlus's and stand to attention. "That's not nessecary Archangel, neither of us are in the Military anymore." I relax my stance and shuffle about uncomfortably.

"It's just Garrus Sir, I'm no longer Archangel." He nods at me and looks into the empty room.

"If you are looking for Shepard, you can find her with the prisoner in the lockup." my head shoots up and I meet his eyes.

"You're making her deal with him?" i ask incredulously. He shakes his head.

"No Garrus, she wanted to be the one to interrogate him. She is the best equipped to deal with him after all." I feel my anger building and storm towards the elevator. How dare her put her through that? She never would have agreed to that, not HIS Shepard. "I wouldn't disturb her if I were you. She proabably doesn't even remeber you. If you like, watch her from the observation deck. She has more tricks that you would think up her sleeve." The tone of his voice tells me that he is speaking from experience. I don't even question how he knows that I know her. After all, our files would match up, anyone could make the connection. I step into the elevator and hit the button to take me to the observation. He was right after all, and I needed to cool down a bit. Time to see just how much she has changed. I step out of the elevator as it hits the desired level and stand before the observation window.

                                                                                                         _______________

I pace the room behind him, contemplating everything he has told me. Cerberus, aiding the Collectors? Cerberus aiding Saren? Cerberus rouninely attacking colonies, making it look like the Protheans did it to start intergalactic war? Just who had she gotten into bed with? The Alliance couldn't possibly sanction these kinds of things unless... Unless they wanted the funding and numbers a war would cause to secure Human dominace throughout this Galaxy. What would that mean for the other races? Surely they wouldn't appreciate being hung out to dry while the Humans took over the previously united races? That would cause a full on war, and humans would be wiped out! Unless they outfitted their troops with the upgrades that would surely be present on the conquered Prothean worlds.... But that's insane! There is no way the populace would stand for that! There is just no way! Besides, what if Thane was saying all these things to lead me astray from the real plan... No. He was telling the truth. My newfound powers told me that much. I threw an angry glance at the back of Thane's head. It was the least the fucker could do after everything he put me through. I stalked back to the stool and sat upon it angrily. This was absolutely ridiculous! Surely whoever came up with this was insane! It would never work. I must be missing something. Something important. I met Thane's eyes, searching them for any clues as to what it might be. I simply refuse to put myself back inside his mind, not after what happened the last time. Some things are better left private. He had defiantely prooved to be a useful source of information though. Might as well keep him around. He opens his mouth to speak and I turn away, and head for the door.

"For what it's worth, Shepard, they are both dead." I stop dead in my tracks. "Cerberus killed them both after I delivered you to them." I turn my head slightly back and reguard him coldy.

"And just how is that supposed to be worth anything to me?" I spit back, forcing ice into every syllable. I hear him sigh in defeat.

"Just letting you know." I scoff and walk to the elevator. As the doors slide closed I allow myself one last look at him, a broken man chained by broken trust and promises. I almost feel bad for him.

                                                                                                 _____________________

"Is the Shock Team ready?" Archangel nods. I shake my head slightly. Would it kill this guy to say something? This whole silent bad ass vibe he's trying to put out is so not working on me. "Good, I'll be leading the strike team. I expect you to keep me updated on your status." He nods again.

"Yes mam." I am surprised by the deep rumbling timbre of his voice, and it stirs a slight deja vu sensation in me. Where do I know his voice from? Oh well, not the time to think about it now. I approach Nihlus and give him a breif overveiw of the contengincy plan. I speak in low tones, it wouldn't do for the team to think their CO has no faith in them. He nods and gives me a meaningful look as he turns away. Be careful out there, his worry evident in the tone of his thought.

"Count on it" I shout after him, to the confusion of those around me. They still aren't quite aware of my capacity. "Alright, Shock Team, here's whats going down. You are the distraction, make as much noise as possible, trigger as many alarms as you can, get them in a panic. Thats when they make mistakes. No heroics conscripts. That means you Jenkins!" That fidgety conscript is makign me nervous. He immediatley seems put off but still happy to be included. "You aren't there to wipe the station out, this is simply an extraction. I will be leading Shadow Team through the air shafts so do try to avoid blowing up the vents if you hear some movement." That got some nervous laughter. "You are being led by a capable soldier, and I expect all of you to follow his orders to the letter. Am I understood?"

"Yes Mam!" Was the collective shout. I smile and shake my head as I don the helmet to my Nemesis Armor. This is going to be interesting.

                                                                                               ___________________________

 "But god damn if it isn't hot in here." I slide a few inches further through the narrow air duct, hoping the spare breathing apparatus doesn't get me stuck in this damnable place. The sounds of alarms, explosions and gunfire is louder than ever, and I find myself hoping one of the conscripts wont spook and shoot the vents like an idoit. I did tell them to expect some noise, but still. "Shock Team, report."

"Everythings golden down here, are you close to the objective?"

"I believe so, there's light ahead. I'll let you know when the package is secure." I slide my body further as I mentally battle off the waves of voices and screams of pain threatening to take me over. I shake my head and swallow, painfully aware of how dry my mouth had gotten.

"Are you alright Shep?" I hear Kasumi call behind me.

"I'm fine, not gonna let some stupid upgrades slow me down." I can feel her uncertanty as I push myself towards the end of the duct. I peer through the slatted vent cover and see only one scientist below, and feel two guards at the door. Good, the bulk is still trying to fight off Shock Team. I use a concentrated mass effect feild to pull out the screws holding the vent cover in place, and throw it down on the ground, startling the scientist who calls for the guards. I throw myself out of the vent and use the scientist as a human sheild and a distraction as the guards close in. Kasumi slips up behind them silently and slits their throats before they can utter a sound. I release the scientist and turn him arund to face me. "How do we get him out?" The man looks confused as i gesture behind me.

"Subject Zero is a she, and I will not help you release her." I shrug indifferently and gesture for Kasumi to secure him. She holds him firmly in place as I place my hands on either side of his skull. "Wh..What are you doing to..." He doesn't get another word out before I am firmly inside his mind, shifting through a lifetime of memories, accomplishments, failures, dreams and empty promises until i find what I am looking for. I release him and jesture for Kasumi to finish him. She does so silently, but I can see it bothers her.

"Don't get all noble with me now, Kasumi. He was a very bad man." I shudder at the memories of his vile treatment of the women in this prison. People like him don't deserve to draw breath. I move to the console controlling the cryopod and prep the machine to administer a light sedative to keep her calm when she wakes. I disable the stasis feild and release the catch, guiding the claw to draw the pod out of it's chamber and placing it in the room adjacent to ours. I administer he sedative as she wakes up, the frost falling off her sleeping form. I am surprised to find her scantily clad, but am not surprused at the feelings that come from her. Fear, regret, confusion.... rage. I quickly realize that the sedative may not be enough for someone of her capabilities and strength of will. I quickly unlock the door and approach her, throwing my helmet aside as I approach her. Her eyes narrow as she recognizes the infiltration style armor and throws up her walls, reguarding me coldly.

"Who the fuck are you?" Her voice is surprisingly calm and even for someone with so much anger. I realize that I need to handle this cautiously, or I may end up on the wrong end of a very powerful shockwave.

"Shepard. Jade Shepard. This is an extraction mission, and you are the objective. If you wish to leave this place, then you need to follow my instructions to the letter. If you wish to part ways when we have left this place, we will drop you off at the nearest space station so you can arrange travel." Her eyebrows shoot up at this, quite surprised by my willingnes to go to all this trouble just to let her go.

"And whats in this for you? I doubt you would be risking yourself so readily for a simple hit." I laugh, of course she knows who I am, almost everyone does.

"Just the chance to convince you to join our cause. I think you'll find our mission to be a good one, and we can keep you away from the Turian Military." The last of the restraints come off and I hand her the extra spacegear. She eyes it wairly before putting it on and following me to the duct.

"Alright Shepard. I suppose I owe you that much." As glad as I am to hear that I can tell that there is more on her mind. "Just one question." I turn and raise my brow at her, helmet in my hands. "Where were you? I.. I tried to conatact you, see if you wanted to make some money on a job I had lined up, but you never showed up." I can feel a fierce anger building in her, probably because doing that job by herself got her into this mess. I sigh and turn full towards her.

"Cerberus had me, did things to me for 5 years. I was betrayed by someone close to me. I'm sorry." She seems to accept this and motions for me to lead. I boost Kasumi up into the duct and then the convict. I scramble up the wall and haul myself into the opening behind her. _Just what_ had _Cerberus done to me that whole time? I need to know, I suppose it's time to talk to Aria about the Scientist's dossier._

                                                                                                           _______________________

"Shepard, there seems to be a problem in engineering, could you please go and sort it out?" Nihlus's voice buzzes through my earpiece as I leave Aria's quarters. _Very capable woman that.... need to keep a close eye on her. There's no denying her connections though._

"Of course sir. What can I expect?" he sighs as I enter the elevator.

"One angry Turian and a recently escaped convict" I sigh and stretch out my conciousness and pick up two very angry signatures coming from below the engineering deck.

"Alright Sir, I'll handle it."

"Thanks Shep." I smile slyly.

"Anything for you Captain." I can practically feel his discomfort through the line before he signs off. Men, all the same. I draw my face into a careful mask of indifference and make my way down to the new member's quarters. She had  _hoped_ to be left alone down there, but apparently someone wasn't having it. _Might have to do with that destroyed cruiser hitting that one moon._ I round the corner to see a very angry Turian towering above a very angry, terribly short biotic. "What the hell is going on here?" I lean against the wall casually, as if we were discussing the weather. The Turian does not turn around when he answers.

"This... This  _criminal_ has no place here on this ship. She should have been executed for what she's done." The small woman scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Oh please spare me the self righteous 'I'm a good Turian' act. That's complete bullshit and you know it. You're the one who fucking deserted, why the hell do you care about some ugly ass frigate?" He sucks in a sharp breath and clenches his fists.

"Don't you try to pin this on me! You killed members of the Turian Military! One of those people onboard was my _sister_. That's why I care you pathetic excuse for a human being. You are nothing but a scared little girl who breaks things that dont belong to her, and you don't give two  _fucks_ if you hurt anyone while you are wallowing in your own selfish misery. Shepard, I would very much appreciate it if she was shot out of the airlock as soon as it's convinient, lest I do it myself." I straighten and approach them both.

"Alright. Here is what's going to happen. You, soldier, are going back to your station and you are going to cool down. She was imprisoned for what she has done, and she has suffered more than enough in her lifetime as punishment. I know this for a fact, I saw it all." She shoots me a panicked glance, wondering what I know or if I'm just bluffing. I can feel his anger building as I try to calm the situation. There is no way we are losing either of these people if I can help it. They are both valuable.

"So she just gets to walk free? It doesn't matter what was done to her, I could do so much worse if you'd just give me the chance."

"ABSOLUTELY not." He growls low in his throat before stalking off. "Just stay away from this level. Am I understood?" He pauses at the base of the stairs and nods once, before making his angry journey to the elevator. I shake my head sadly. There is no way to redo things, though I think, based on the level of regret our friend is giving off here, she wishes she could undo everything she has done. I turn towards her. "So, Subject Zero..." She flinches at that title and flops down on her cot.

"It's Jack."

"Alright, Jack. I'm not here to regail you with my tales of triumph to get you to join. I can safely assume you already know a lot about me." She nods in assention. "So here's what we are dealing with..." She sits up as I explain our situation and show her the evidence Aria dredged up confirming what Thane had told me. Her face shows such a clear expression of shock that I almost laugh at how comical it is. When I have finished, she sits there, mulling it all over. I can feel clearlyin her mind that she likes the sound of our mission, and she sees it as a chance to redeem herself. She stands and nods.

"Alright Shepard. I'm in." We shake hands and part ways. As I head up to my office I can't help but feel hopeful. If the people we pick up continue to see things logically, things may start looking up for us.


End file.
